CrossFit training

Last weekend my friend Blesz and I went to Biofitness gym in Quezon City to try crossFit training/bootcamp with coach AZ. It's a total body workout, I sweat a lot and curse a lot (sorry mom). It felt like I'm one of the contestants in the TV program The Biggest Loser. It felt like I'm getting punish for not being fit or something. But don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all. I actually enjoyed it and I'll definitely go back there. 

"So what is crossFit training?", you might ask. CrossFit is a worldwide phenomenon that has hooked athletes, gym rats and anyone who just wants to transform their physique into a stronger, fitter one... all within 30-45 minutes of a workout! 

And we'll never be royals. It don't run in our blood

Hola senoritas! I just got back from the airport so I'm kinda sleepy as I'm typing this. Anyhoo, I want to feature Lorde's Royals in this blog post to match this galaxy attire from Apartment 8. Who doesn't like Apartment 8?! Filipina bloggers like Tricia Gosingtian and Camille Co are endorsing it so you can't go wrong with the style. I love 'em! :)

Okay moving on to the song meaning... The 16-year-old singer-songwriter 'Royals' has broken records by becoming the first New Zealand solo artist to have a number one song in the United States. She knocked Miley Cyrus off her “Wrecking Ball” to top Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. She's that good huh?

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf

source: credit

Hi lovelies! I'm sure almost everyone of you has a scarf in their closet. The question is, are you using it? Or do you even know how to use one? Well don't let it rot out there! Put it to good use just like what Wendy did in one of her Youtube videos. She put up a cute and innovative video called "25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes" and it has now 19,962,424 views and counting! Woooow! Isn't that awesome? 

Chocolate Cupcake with Ganache Icing

My preggy sissy Meryl has been insisting me to attend a baking workshop culinary class with her since summer. When I found a great deal online, I didn't think twice and I bought it right away. Chef JV of Casa Feliz gave us tips on how to whisk, fold and mix. 

Ingredients:

cake flour 1 1/3 cup
baking powder 1 tsp
baking soda 1 tsp
salt 1 tsp
cocoa powder 3/4 cup

eggs 2 pcs
sugar 2 cups
vegetable oil 1/2 cup
evaporated milk 1 cup
water 1 cup

DIY Camouflage shorts

It's been a while since I posted on my fashion DIY tab, I noticed that most of the DIY stuff I posted were shorts. Well guess what, I'm doing another shorts tutorial whether you like it or not. :-) It's real simple, all you gotta do is recycle your old bikini with loose garter that's been sitting in your closet for over 3 years. Get rid of it girl coz it won't fit you anymore because you either got fatter or your bikini just shrink for some reason that only Science could explain. Okay let's get started!

Materials you need:

old denim pants/shorts (bleached and dyed. View tutorial here)

old camouflage bikini

scissors

ruler

pencil marker

studs

sewing thread

needle

You’re gonna hear me roar, louder than a lion

If you've been reading this blog, you would know that I get all the title of my outfit posts from a line of a song. Like in today's post, Katy Perry's "Roar". It's my new favorite song this week. After seeing her performance in VMA, I downloaded it right away and played it over and over again 'til I memorized it. Even President Obama liked it, he tweeted Katy Perry and thank her for that awesome performance. 

Taza Mix Greenhills Review

Shabu-shabu is one of my favorite Japanese dishes coz it's fun to prepare and you can mix your own dipping sauces; it's healthy too because most of the ingredients are organic. (Except for the seafood balls) It's usually serve with thinly sliced beef, tofu and vegetables. Nori, Chinese cabbage and shiitake mushrooms are my favorite. At Taza Mix they also serve grilled meat and seafood, perfect for the hot soup. Nom nom nom! :D

Now I've got you in my space, I won't let go of you

Latch by Disclosure is my one of my favorite songs this rainy season because of the techie beat change and its meaning. I consider the the British Duo music geniuses coz they are young, Guy 21 and Howard 19 and their song were played over a million times on Sound Cloud and Youtube. 

Sam Smith on vocals made the song more seductive coz of his crisp voice. According to UK Singles chart, the "hugging" song entered at number 26 and has peaked to number 11.

Yabu: House of Katsu Review

I finally get to taste the katsu craze in Manila. My cousin Nica and I waited for like an hour just to get a table. Good thing we didn't stand in line because they have this restaurant paging system for waiting guests. So instead of sitting there, doing nothing, we walked around the mall (within 20ft) with the pager. 

According to their website, Chef Kazuya Takeda partnered with Yabu. He is the head of chef of Tonkatsu Takeshin, a popular tonkatsu restaurant in Tokyo. Hmmm, no wonder why their katsu is delicious and perfect!

I like the katsu sauce because you get to make it yourself, which is fun! Here's how to make the sauce: First, crush the black and white sesame seeds with a mortar and pestle. Second, pour the Tonkatsu sauce and mix it. And lastly, dip your Katsu and eat! :D

crush crush!

And we can't stop... And we won't stop

 

 

Hola! I'm sure some of you watched "We can't stop" music video by Miley Cyrus. It's pretty viral and raised a lot of eyebrows coz some people think that if a white person twerked, it's already considered racist. Well I don't know about that... I think it's ok for anybody to twerk because it's just a dance move. I don't see anything wrong with that. Anyways, let's discuss the song meaning, I think it's just about partying, getting high, doing crazy things with your friends and having fun without limits. The video was kinda shocking because Miley was making out with a doll in the swimming pool and she wore a "doll" necklace. It's like as if she's in love with the doll or somethin'.(uh okay!) What I like most about the video was the French fry skull. I think that's really cool!

Del Monte Mac and Cheese Recipe

 

July July... Rainy season again. Grrr! I hate it when it rains coz I get lazy to go out and work out. I know it's not a good excuse not to work out because you can always do exercises at home. Whenever it rains, I gain weight. Why? Coz I spoil myself with comfort foods like nachos, blueberry cheesecake, burger, fries, pizza and milk tea... Now who's with me? Nom nom nom...

I really wanna love somebody

 

Maroon 5's newest video "Love Somebody" is kinda HAWT! Shirtless Adam Levine and his bandmates were covered in paint. I know some of you might think that Demi Lovato used same concept and stuff in her video "Heart Attack", but this one is different coz they use blue-screen technology for full effect. The track is in their album, "Overexposed" that Adam Levine wrote after his two-year relationship with the Victoria's Secret model Anne Vyalitsyna ended. "We could never put out a Maroon 5 record without the love songs as that's why we connect so well with our fans. We have fun, yes, but we speak about things we've all been through at some time."

Leslie's Restaurant Tagaytay Review

Whenever we go to Tagaytay, I always crave for Bulalo (Filipino Beef Marrow Stew). I don't know if it's me or the cold weather, I just wanna sip coffee or hot soup and sit on a rocking chair all day like my great-grandpa, Lolo Andres. Anyways, we went there to celebrate Mother's Day, we stood in line for like an hour or so just to get a table. We drove for like 1 hour and 30 minutes just to eat there, so yeah we're super hungry coz we waited for awhile! Waiting makes you think a lot and makes you crazy, so to relieve boredom we took A LOT of pictures. When I say A LOT, I meant gazilions! Bwahaha!

the lake view

Bike Riding

Dear KT's blog, 

It's been a while since I wrote, I said before that I will blog like twice a week, but now it's been almost 10 days. LOL! Anyways, been busy lately. What do you expect, I work too hard! Prrrrt! You know I'm kidding right? It's not in my vocabulary to work HARD. Maybe just a little but not too much. I have to save moneyyyy! Anyhow, I've been away lately, I went to the beach and snorkel w/ mom. Ya that's why I'm so tanned now. I love brown skin like Rihanna! :p If I can only stay in the sun for long hours without damaging my skin, I would. Anyways, I want to share my tiny eetsy bike experience. 

Toniiiiiight, We Are Young

Hola! Here we go again with the outfit post, I know it's been a while since I posted something like this. My friend told me to stop doing this because it eats so much of my time and it's narcissistic. I'm like, "Have you heard of Fashion Toast, Song of Style and The Blonde Salad? They are my inspiration and they write about personal style too." He was like, "Nobody cares..." I'm like, "sheesh!" Anyhow, I want to relate this outfit post to a song called "We Are Young" by Fun.

Benefits of Boxing

Hybrid Yaw-Yan coach Jojo Anghang Tabang

Boxing has become pretty popular for those who hates running in the treadmill and using other fancy-ass gym equipment. As you know, almost everyone's always looking for a shortcut to weight loss, fitness fads like TRX and Zumba are attracting women but boxing is still my best bet. You can have lean, toned, and strong body just by punching your coach. How cool can that be? :-p

Riding the waves of the ocean

I'm a surfin' bird! :-p

A little over a year ago, my friends and I started surfing. It’s pretty popular among people of all ages because it offers many health benefits, both mental and physical. There is no question why surfer dudes have nice bodies –lean and strong. My friend Zyra and I would often see guys with abs in the surfing area. It’s very rare to see an overweight surfer and there’s a reason for that. Surfing requires quickness, balance, muscular power, endurance and flexibility. It’s a fun total body workout!

It’s also addicting because the pursuit of waves can do wonders for the quality of your life. It can boost your mood after playing in the water for 30 minutes. According to Life Science, studies show going surfing for 30 minutes is associated with an increase in positive, upbeat feelings and a decrease in negative feelings as well as fatigue. You would often hear surfers saying, “Stoke!” A surfer lingo meaning "mixed feeling of anxiety and happiness towards the waves breaking."

20-minute exercise

It's been a while since I posted a topic about fitness. Last week, I enrolled in a swimming class, yoga, pilates and zumba. I know I'm crazy! I spent all my money there, now I'm broke! LOL! Yesterday I trained my friend Leah how to swim. I taught her freestyle and breast stroke. She got it real quick, she's a fast learner! She told me that she will swim everyday starting tomorrow morning. I'm happy coz I see her dedication and she's eager to learn more! 

Anyhow, I want to share this 20-minute exercise. It's so easy, I got it from Domestic Mama. I've been doing this exercise since March. Like every morning when I wake up I would set up my mat and do this. I sweat like a pig on my first 3 days but when I get used to it, whew! So easy! :) Please try to do it too, it's just a mini-exercise, short and easy, so please no more excuses! As Nike says, "Just do it!"

R.I.P to the girl you used to see

“R.I.P, to the girl you used to see

Her days are over, baby she’s over

I decided to give you all of me

Baby come closer, baby come closer”

Manila Target Shooting Range "MSR"

I love watching CSI, NCIS and Mentalist coz I'm curious how a criminal mind works. I read articles about worst serial killers in history like Ted Bundy, Ed Gein etc. Don't get me wrong, I'm not getting any pleasure from those gruesome details, I'm just curious why or how they did it. If ever I encounter one, I will just shot him in the head, no more talking. *Bang bang!* You're dead... Just kidding! I'm not a gun owner but I'm curious how to shoot, so my bestfriend and I went to MSR (Manila Target Shooting Range) to learn gun firing.

My mirror staring back at me

Justin Timberlake's song, "Mirrors" is dedicated to his wife, Jessica Biel. He said on an interview, “‘Mirrors’ is a love song to someone that you feel like is, you know, sort of your other half. One of the most valuable things in a relationship is being able to constantly change and be individual, but look to the other side to the person that you’re with and and know that they’re changing as well individually, but somehow you two can mirror each other and be the other half of that world that you both create.”

Wakeboarding at CWC (Camsur Watersports Complex)

photo credit

Wakeboarding was developed by surfers from a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing techniques. They did this as a way to have fun on days when there were low waves. Smart idea right?! They said it can burn 350 calories per hour and also tones up arm, leg, abdominal and back muscles.

Election 2013

We just voted. As always, Hopper the photobomber! ;)

Taal Volcano Guide

Taal volcano, "an island within a lake", that's what its called according to our tour guide. It's the smallest active volcano in the world and second most active volcano in the Philippines (with 33 historical eruptions). It's advisable to go there early in the morning like 6 or 7 because it gets too hot from 10am-3pm. I've been there twice and got sunburned on my first trek coz we got there around 10am. On my 2nd time, I learned my lesson so we got there early.

Don´t you worry child, see heaven´s got a plan for you

Swedish House Mafia's song, "Don't You Worry Child" was very consistent on the top 40 list of Ryan Seacrest's site. I like this song because of the message and the rhythm, makes you wanna dance and get LSS. "Those days are gone, and now the memories are on the wall". I think this line were in the thoughts of a young man looking at his family pictures on the wall. He's reminiscing how simple and good childhood can be.

Amazing Grace

It's been a week since I was in the province for my grandpa's wake. I'd like to share a video of my second cousin, Ingrid, playing a recorder. On top of that, I also want to share a poem that changed my outlook in life. I found this amazing poem in my grandparent's restroom door, it's called "WHAT WILL MATTER" by Michael Josephson". 

Sonya's Garden Review

My mom and her churchmates like Sonya's garden so much that they go there whenever they have an outing or reunion. She keeps on telling me how beautiful their garden is and how much she wants to get the plants there. (She has different variety of plants in our rooftop which I wanted to sell online. JK ma!) :-p

Jet Lag

You say good morning

When it's midnight

Going out of my head

Alone in this bed

I wake up to your sunset

And it's driving me mad

I miss you so bad

And my heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged

Heart, heart, heart is so jet-lagged

Jet Lag by Simple Plan, is about a couple who are madly in love with each other but they live on different sides of the world. It's hard for them to keep in contact because of time zone difference, so their hearts were jet-lagged.

Wall Climbing at Power Up Centro Atletico

If you're thinking of strenuous activity that involves legs and arms work out, this activity is perfect for you. Last weekend my colleagues and I went to Cubao, Quezon City to try out the indoor wall climbing. At first I was thinking, "Oh, this is cheese balls! I'll be bored later." Then after reading the standard procedures and climbing signals, I was like, "Uh oh! Information overload! Do I really have to memorize all this?!"

Blueberry Cheesecake Recipe

After a successful attempt on making the No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake, my cousins and I decided to make a fluffy blueberry cheesecake. I already have all the ingredients in the fridge, so all we gotta do is to mix everything and chill it. It's cold and creamy -perfect for summer!

It takes me all the way, I want you to stay

Overplayed song in Manila radio stations: "Stay" by Rihanna featuring Mikky Echo. I like this song because of the story. In Rihanna's interview with the Examiner, she said "Stay is a story about having love that close and wanting it to last forever. You don’t have that feeling with everybody so when you have it you don’t want to let go of it. I would definitely say that he [Chris Brown] is the one I have that kind of relationship with." We all know the beating issue but she still forgave him and now they're back together. I think she learned her lesson. She's stronger now and won't be a victim anymore. 

Mixed Martial Arts (Hybrid Yaw-Yan Cubao)

Yaw-Yan, also called Sayaw ng Kamatayan or "Dance of Death" is a Filipino hybrid style of kickboxing developed by Napoleon Fernandez. Since its inception in the 1970s, it has dominated the kickboxing scene in the Philippines and has proven very effective against other stand-up fighting arts. (Wikipedia)

I joined Hybrid Yaw-Yan last 2010 in order to defend myself from bad people. I'm not an expert or anything but I pretty much learn everything from Sir Henry Kobayashi (CEO/trainer). I always sweat like a pig in all his warm up exercises. Imagine, it's just a warm-up exercise, what more if I finish the whole session? (without cheating of course!) I love mits training with Sir Henry because it's stress relieving. Like if I'm angry, I hit the mits harder. Seriously, it helps. ;)

Sir Henry kicking someone's ass

DIY floral shorts

I've been seeing a lot of floral-inspired clothes lately so I decided to make my own version. I wore this shorts in my outfit post yesterday and got so many likes on facebook and instagram. My older sister got inspired with this project, so she drove to the nearest trading store and purchased some materials. Tomorrow I will help out my baby cousin Nica to bleach her denim shorts and make ombre-dyed shorts(click here for the DIY). Just like what I promised in my previous post, here's the tutorial for it! <3

Materials you need:

old denim shorts (bleached and dyed to your preferred color)

scissors

ruler

pencil marker

studs

sewing thread

needle

floral fabric

I think I’d have a heart attack

Overplayed song of the week: "Heart Attack" by Demi Lovato. I've been hearing it on different radio stations here in Manila and been trying to analyze it. I thought the song was about a girl trying so hard to impress a guy and she ended up not being herself so she messed up the whole thing. I watched the music video and realized that my analysis was wrong! LOL! On her interview with Perez Hilton, she said “I think everybody's been in a situation where they've been hurt several times. They feel vulnerable...There's been times where you've been hurt. When you have to open up your heart to somebody, it's a risk. This song is about taking that risk and the feelings that come from it."

The Paleo Diet

I learned about Paleo diet 2 months ago where in you have to limit yourself from eating dairy products like butter, cheese, milk etc. Processed foods and processed sugars are a no-no. Legumes, starches and alcohol. Yup I no longer drink alcohol and I have no plans drinking any time soon. When I see alcohol now, I just want to puke. Seriously! Paleo diet will change your life.


So what is Paleo diet? A pyramid illustration from fitbomb will do the explanation.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Every time I hear "Stronger" by Kelly Clarkson, it just makes me wanna sing it out loud. This song is about being fierce after ending a relationship. Some of you might think that you'll be lost without your partner, where in fact you are actually stronger and better off without him. Kelly sings the song loudly and repeatedly to convince herself that she'll be fine alone. She made it clear that "being alone doesn't mean your lonely."

I don't know about you but im feeling 22

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Taylor Swift in blue & white striped dress

This song of Taylor is so catchy. It reminds me of my twin cousins who are turning 22 this November. Swift told Billboard magazine: "For me, being 22 has been my favorite year of my life. I like all the possibilities of how you're still learning, but you know enough. You still know nothing, but you know that you know nothing. You're old enough to start planning your life, but you're young enough to know there are so many unanswered questions. That brings about a carefree feeling that is sort of based on indecision and fear and a the same time letting lose. Being 22 has taught me so much." 

No bake Strawberry Ice box cake

I was supposed to bake a cake but I decided to make an easier version. Ice box cake! This is very easy, even kids can do it. All you gotta do is to layer & freeze! No baking required! It's like a cheaper version of strawberry shortcake with chocolate ganache on top, isn't that perfect?! 

Hopper -the hyper dog

Hi I'm Hopper! I'm 2 months old mini pinscher. I like to hop like a baby kangaroo. The first time I entered mommy KT's house, I hopped crazily instead of walking. I did this to impress her, Meryl(my 1st mom) and Shalom (her sister). They all laughed when I did that, so that's how I got my name, "Hopper". I think it fits me well because if you look closely, my face is really like a baby kangaroo. But of course, I'm more handsome than them. Teeeeheee!!! 

Here are some of my photos taken by mom:

I'm a big dog in a small dog's body.

Boracay baby!

I love going to the beach! Who doesn't right?! The warm breeze of the ocean makes me feel relaxed, I get to sip fresh coconut juice, get a tan and people watch! Yeah I love people watching, especially when I see cute guys with abs!      Nyahaha! Of course I wear sunglasses so that they can't tell what I'm looking at. (I got that tip from watching too much CSI Miami. :p) Anyways, they held a contest in our office and the person who gets to close more deals within a time period gets the prize. 2 round-trip tickets from Manila to Boracay, hotel accommodation and pocket money. Guess what?! I'm the lucky bastard! Wooohoooo! I'm going to bring my mom with me and my brother might join us. 

Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own

All my fashion category will be from one line of a song. Today I feel like listening to "Daylight by Maroon 5" while typing this article post, so I came up with the title "Cause in the daylight we'll be on our own". I think the song is about a long-distance relationship. They were saying goodbye to each other but don't want to end it. (So full of drama! My golly! Hahaha!) Anyhow I like that song because a radio DJ in Manila asked Adam Levine what song in his album ' 'Overexposed' would he dedicate to his Filipina fans and he answered, "Daylight. It’s my favorite song in the album and it’s a very inspirational song. I love it very much." (teehee!!! Adam you are so talented, I will pinch your cheeks!)

DIY Ombre shorts

"Ombre" is a french term meaning shaded or shading. It was a trend last year and I saw a lot of celebrities or fashion bloggers with ombre-dyed hair. Now that it's summer time I'm seeing a lot of girls wearing ombre-dyed shorts so, I decided to make my own.  It's easy making them but it's time-consuming.

Halo-halo recipe

It's summer time once again! That means higher electricity bill and halo-halo season. Is there such thing? Okay I made that up! Halo-halo is a Filipino mixed-fruit dessert that is usually eaten during the summer season. (March-May) You will see a lot of halo-halo stands in every street corner. It's like a counterpart of lemonade stands in the US. 

How to have a flat tummy?

Okay the title of this article is a little exaggerated. I don't really have a flat tummy but I try to have at least 4-pack. I think 6-pack is way too much. I'm not an expert or anything but I'll share to you some tips that I do that works for me. It is always best to consult your physician before starting any exercises or diet.

Here are some easy steps that I do:

Hello cyber buddies!

New blog at last! I've been blogging since 2011 but I deleted it because it's like an online diary that is too personal. Yeah like top secret! Bwahaha! Anyhow, on this blog I will write about art crafts, food, travel, fitness, and fashion. Basically anything that interest me. This blog is will be updated once or twice a week (okay! Maybe daily if I'm inspired enough to write stuff).

Today is Sunday so I'm going to share something about my favorite bible verse. Jeremiah 29:11